Deciphering the underlying mechanisms of the oxidative perturbations and impaired meat quality in Wooden breast myopathy by label-free quantitative MS-based proteomics.

The study aimed to investigate biochemical mechanisms occurred in Wooden breast (WB) chicken meat, with attention to the impact on meat quality. Commercial chicken breasts were classified as Normal (N, n = 12), WB-M (moderate degree; focal hardness on cranial region, n = 12) and WB-S (severe degree; extreme and diffused hardness over the entire surface, n = 12). Samples were analyzed for physico-chemical properties, oxidative damage to lipids and proteins, and discriminating sarcoplasmic proteins by using a Q-Exactive mass spectrometer. WB meat presented impaired composition and functionality and higher levels of lipid and protein oxidation markers than N meat. The proteomic profile of WB-S presents a dynamic regulation of the relevant proteins involved in redox homeostasis, carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolisms. Proteomics results demonstrate that the physiological and metabolic processes of muscles affected by WB myopathy are involved in combating the inflammatory process and in repairing the damaged tissue by oxidative stress.

Improving the poor texture and technological properties of chicken wooden breast by enzymatic hydrolysis and low-frequency ultrasound.

Wooden breast (WB) is a recurrent myopathy in fast-growing birds, which alters the appearance, functionality, and the texture of the breast muscle. The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate the effect of a combined use of papain enzyme and ultrasound on the texture of WB chicken using response surface methodology and (ii) to assess the effect of marinating on the quality of WB chicken meat. Full factorial experimental design method was used to obtain the ideal conditions to soften the WB meat. The independent variables were the concentration of papain (0.1%-0.3%) and the time in ultrasonic bath (10-30 min); shear force (SF) was the dependent variable. The optimum results were obtained at a concentration of 0.2% papain and 20 min on ultrasound. Papain enzyme had a great influence on the texture of WB meat, reducing its hardness. However, the effect of the ultrasound time on the SF response was not observed. The marinated WB meat showed similar SF values and texture profile than those from normal (N) meat, with reduction in the parameters of protein and lipid oxidation. The use of papain without ultrasound bath proved to be an efficient means for improving the tenderness of WB breasts. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study shows the efficiency of the application of two technological procedures (enzymatic treatment and ultrasound) to improve the texture profile and technological properties of chicken breasts affected by the wooden breast myopathy. The economic loss caused by the world-wide occurrence of wooden breast is enormous, and the application of papain has been found to counteract the impaired properties of this abnormal chicken breasts. Since papain is already widely used in the food industry to tenderize meat, its application in improving the quality of WB meat is straightforward.

Effect of adding byproducts of chicken slaughter on the quality of sausage over storage.

The use of byproducts generated by the food industry is a strategy that can have advantages in economic, technological, nutritional, and environmental terms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the addition of byproducts of chicken slaughter (skin and abdominal fat) on the quality of fresh sausage stored under freezing. Partial chemical characterization of the byproducts was performed. Three batches of chicken sausage were prepared with skin, abdominal fat, and with skin and abdominal fat added; thereafter were stored for 135 d in freezer. Partial chemical composition, physical characteristics, microbiological quality, and product acceptance were determined. Skin and abdominal fat are rich sources of fat. However, the addition of skin provided to sausage higher protein content, hardness, water retention capacity, and less cooking loss compared to added abdominal fat treatments. In contrast, the addition of abdominal fat provided higher lipid content to the sausages and displaying higher acceptability. The addition of byproducts in fresh sausage manufacture would be a great strategy to increase the chicken sausage value, with physicochemical quality improvement, and without sensory acceptability issues.

Cross-cultural emotional response to food stimuli: Influence of consumption context.

Emotional responses elicited by certain types of food can be influenced by past experiences, frequency of consumption, culture, and other personal preferences. The present research aimed i) to investigate the impact of culture (Brazilian and Spaniard) on consumers' emotional responses and acceptability of different food stimuli, and ii) to explore the influence of evoked contexts. Brazilian (n = 437) and Spanish (n = 397) participants were exposed to three visual food stimuli (image of chocolate, potato chips, and yogurt) in an online survey and reported their emotional responses. Sociodemographic data, liking, and frequency of consumption were also collected. The evoked context in our study were designed and proposed, for each product and culture, based on four dimensions (consumption time, location, social setting, and hungry state). The evoked emotional lexicon was different for each food stimulus and was clearly influenced by the cultural factor. However, there are more similarities between cultures when evaluating the same product category. The evoked contexts were appropriated and influenced the citing frequency of some emotion terms, including positive ones. The most cited emotion terms tended to positively impact product liking ratings, acting as drivers of liking. Consumption level was positively related to liking regardless of cultural interactions for both chocolate and potato chips stimuli. In conclusion, the cultural background demonstrated to be an important impact factor to be considered for understanding the effects of product, consumption occasions, and degree of liking, on emotional responses to foods. These findings offer new possibilities to be explored in marketing messages for interventions or stimuli that guide food choices.

Effect of storage time on the quality of chicken sausages produced with fat replacement by collagen gel extracted from chicken feet.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of collagen gel extracted from chicken feet on chicken sausages during 42 d of refrigerated storage. Three chicken sausages were processed: standard (SS); replacing 50% fat with commercial collagen powder (SC); replacing 50% fat with chicken foot collagen gel (SG). Sausages were stored at 4°C and analyzed every 14 d, for proximate composition, fatty acid profile, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) number, antioxidant activity, electrophoresis, instrumental color, water holding capacity (WHC), texture profile analysis, and quantitative descriptive analysis. Sausages SC and SG had similar behavior to the standard in the sensorial parameters of appearance and color over 28 d of refrigerated storage. SG had the highest WHC (81.05%), the lowest TBARS value (0.38 mg MDA/kg), and the highest antioxidant activity in addition to having the best atherogenicity and thrombogenicity index compared with SC treatment, making collagen gel viable to replace fat and control the effects of lipid oxidation.

Pinpointing oxidative stress behind the white striping myopathy: depletion of antioxidant defenses, accretion of oxidized proteins and impaired proteostasis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in the onset of the white striping (WS) myopathy with particular attention to the role of oxidative stress and protein oxidation in the loss of meat quality. RESULTS: It was found that WS-M (moderate degree; white stripes <1 mm thickness) and WS-S (severe degree; white stripes >1 mm thickness) breast presented higher pH, hardness, redness, lipid, and collagen content, and lower lightness than normal breast. Compared with the latter, WS-S had a more severe loss of protein thiols (70.7% less thiols than in N), reduced activity of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (23 versus 40 U g-1 ), glutathione peroxidase (0.21 versus 0.54 U g-1 ), and superoxide dismutase (56 versus 73 U g-1 ), and consequently, had greater accretion of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (0.64 versus 0.22 mg MDAkg-1 muscle), allysine (3.1 versus 1.9 nmol mg-1 protein) and Schiff base structures (645 versus 258 fluorescent units). The analysis of sarcoplasmic proteins revealed that muscles severely affected by the myopathy suffered a chronic impairment of physiological (upregulation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase, sarcalumenin and calsequestrin-2) and metabolic processes (downregulation of pyruvate kinase, creatine kinase, and l-lactate dehydrogenase). CONCLUSION: The overexpression of ribonuclease / angiogenin inhibitor 1 and Kelch-like proteins in WS chicken breasts indicates altered protein turnover plausibly mediated by oxidative stress and accumulation of oxidized proteins. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of use of byproducts (chicken skin and abdominal fat) on the oxidation of chicken sausage stored under freezing.

Fresh chicken sausage is a meat product with high consumption in the world. The addition of a lipid source (other than abdominal fat), such as chicken skin, is considered an alternative to harnessing slaughter byproducts in the preparation of processed meat products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of use of skin and/or abdominal fat on chicken sausages and their effect on oxidative stability of chicken sausages during freezing storage. Three formulations with chicken meat added of abdominal fat (SF), or chicken skin (SS), or chicken fat and skin (SFS) were elaborated. Chemical composition, fatty acid profile, instrumental color and texture, oxidative stability of lipids and proteins, and sensory acceptability of chicken sausages were determined. SS formulation showed lower lipid and protein oxidation and softness during storage. Consumers showed greater preference and high purchase intent for SFS formulation, which showed average values of chemical composition and oxidation of chicken sausages stored under freezing. Therefore, the combined addition of lipid sources, skin, and abdominal fat is recommended for use in chicken sausages, considering that the addition of fat improves the sensory characteristics of chicken sausages and skin minimizes the oxidative effects of storage. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The combined addition of skin fat and abdominal fat is recommended for use in chicken sausages as it does not interfere with consumer acceptability and further ensures nutritional quality during freezing storage. In addition, it is an alternative to using a byproduct of chicken slaughter, bringing economic advantages to the industry and less environmental damage to the world.

Lipid and protein oxidation of emulsified chicken patties prepared using abdominal fat and skin.

Skin (SK) and abdominal fat (AF) are by-products that are abundantly produced in poultry slaughterhouses. Skin is used in meat products, especially in sausages, but its use is related to microbiological contamination and susceptibility to oxidation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of SK replacement with AF on the quality characteristics of emulsified patties stored under freezing conditions (-18°C) for 90 D. The AF showed higher lipid content than did the SK, but the SK had a higher predominance of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Regarding the partial chemical composition, the treatments showed differences in moisture, lipids, and total collagen. The values for para-anisidine and carbonyl compounds at the end of 90 D of storage were not influenced by the incorporation of SK or AF. The judges also did not observe differences in the color and aroma of the emulsified products during the 90 D. Furthermore, volatile compounds considered oxidation markers were not detected at the end of the storage period. Given these results, emulsified patties made with SK or AF undergo, to a similar degree, low levels of lipid and protein oxidation when stored under freezing conditions (-18°C) for 90 D, which allows the use of some of these lipid sources in meat products.

Virgin Coconut Oil Supplementation Prevents Airway Hyperreactivity of Guinea Pigs with Chronic Allergic Lung Inflammation by Antioxidant Mechanism.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by immune cell infiltrates, bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and declining lung function. Thus, the possible effects of virgin coconut oil on a chronic allergic lung inflammation model were evaluated. Morphology of lung and airway tissue exhibited peribronchial inflammatory infiltrate, epithelial hyperplasia, and smooth muscle thickening in guinea pigs submitted to ovalbumin sensitization, which were prevented by virgin coconut oil supplementation. Additionally, in animals with lung inflammation, trachea contracted in response to ovalbumin administration, showed a greater contractile response to carbachol (CCh) and histamine, and these responses were prevented by the virgin coconut oil supplementation. Apocynin, a NADPH oxidase inhibitor, did not reduce the potency of CCh, whereas tempol, a superoxide dismutase mimetic, reduced potency only in nonsensitized animals. Catalase reduced the CCh potency in nonsensitized animals and animals sensitized and treated with coconut oil, indicating the participation of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide in the hypercontractility, which was prevented by virgin coconut oil. In the presence of L-NAME, a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, the CCh curve remained unchanged in nonsensitized animals but had increased efficacy and potency in sensitized animals, indicating an inhibition of endothelial NOS but ineffective in inhibiting inducible NOS. In animals sensitized and treated with coconut oil, the CCh curve was not altered, indicating a reduction in the release of NO by inducible NOS. These data were confirmed by peribronchiolar expression analysis of iNOS. The antioxidant capacity was reduced in the lungs of animals with chronic allergic lung inflammation, which was reversed by the coconut oil, and confirmed by analysis of peribronchiolar 8-iso-PGF2α content. Therefore, the virgin coconut oil supplementation reverses peribronchial inflammatory infiltrate, epithelial hyperplasia, smooth muscle thickening, and hypercontractility through oxidative stress and its interactions with the NO pathway.

Cashew nuts (Anacardium occidentale L.) decrease visceral fat, yet augment glucose in dyslipidemic rats.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the biological effects of roasted Cashew nuts consumption on biochemical and murinometric parameters in dyslipidemic rats receiving lipid supplementation. Young male rats were randomly assigned to three experimental groups (n = 10). The Control group (CONT) was treated with water, the Dyslipidemic group (DL) received a high fat content emulsion throughout the experiment, and the Dyslipidemic Cashew Nuts group (DLCN) received the same high fat content emulsion throughout the experiment, yet was treated with Cashew nuts. Body parameters, biochemical, hepatic and fecal fatty acid profiles were all evaluated. The levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides were higher in the DL and DLCN groups as compared to the control group. DLCN and CONT presented no difference in HDL levels. DLCN presented higher glycemia levels than the other groups. There was reduction of body fat in DLCN as compared to other groups, but with higher accumulations of liver fat. DLCN presented a reduction in saturated hepatic fatty acids of 20.8%, and an increase of 177% in relation to CONT; there was also a 21% in increase DL for ω9 fatty acids in comparison to CONT. As for fecal fatty acids, there was a lower concentration of polysaturates in DLCN as compared to the other groups. The data showed that the consumption of Cashew nuts by the dyslipidemic animals treated with a hyperlipidic diet induced greater accumulations of liver fat and worsened glycemic levels, despite having reduced visceral fats and increased fecal fat excretion.

Developing cookies formulated with goat cream enriched with conjugated linoleic acid.

Goat fat is one of the best sources of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid which has health benefits. However, though CLA is generated in ruminants, CLA consumption is limited to meats and milk products. This study aimed to replace vegetable fat with goat milk fat enriched with CLA. From differing fat sources, four cookie recipes were developed: CVF-vegetable fat cookies; CB-butter cookies; CG-goat milk fat cookies without CLA; CGCLA-goat milk fat cookies with CLA. The cookies were evaluated using physical (color and texture), physical-chemical parameters (lipids, proteins, total sugars, fiber, ash, moisture and Aw), consumer testing (n = 123), and lipid profiles. The CGCLA presented higher values in the color parameters. The highest and the lowest scores obtained for hardness were respectively 5.54 (CB) and 2.21 (CVF). Lipids and total sugars varied inversely; the highest percentages of lipids were in the CVF and CG samples which obtained lower total sugar content. There were no differences in acceptance or preference for the four formulations. The goat cream formulations (CG and CGCLA) were as well accepted as the CFV formulation. For lipid profiles, CFV presented the highest percentage of trans-fatty acids (TFA) at 16.76%. CGCLA presented 70% more CLA than either CB or CG, certifying that CGCLA presents CLA in relevant quantities, even after cooking. The CGCLA presented higher levels of CLA, and in this study it was verified that goat milk cream enriched with CLA can be used in producing cookies, adding functional and nutritional properties, and offering another alternative(s) to produce food from goat milk fat.

Collapse of the endogenous antioxidant enzymes in post-mortem broiler thigh muscles triggers oxidative stress and impairs water-holding capacity.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of the collapse of the endogenous antioxidant enzymes, namely, catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in post-mortem (PM) chicken thigh muscles on the extent of lipid and protein oxidation and the functionality of the muscle in terms of water-holding. To fulfil this objective, the samples were divided into two treatments: one group of muscles (n = 8) was subjected to delay cooling (DC) (at ~ 37 °C for 200 min PM) and then stored at 4 °C for 24 h. The second group (n = 8) was subjected to a normal cooling (NC): samples were immediately chilled at 4 °C for 24 h. DC samples presented a decrease in 16% of CAT, 25% GSH-Px and 20% SOD activity in relation to NC. Consistently, an increase of 36% of total carbonyl, 15% of Schiff bases and 27% of TBA-RS and 14% of tryptophan depletion was observed in DC samples, as compared to NC. The results suggested that DC challenged muscles to struggle against oxidative reactions, consuming endogenous antioxidant defenses and causing protein and lipid oxidation which in turn affect the quality and safety of chicken meat. These results emphasize the role of PM oxidative stress on chicken quality and safety. Antioxidant strategies like fast cooling may be combined with others (dietary antioxidants) to preserve chicken quality against oxidative stress.

The power of odour volatiles from unifloral melipona honey evaluated by gas chromatography-olfactometry Osme techniques.

BACKGROUND: The quality and power of each odorous volatile present in the headspace of unifloral honey velame branco (Croton heliotropiifolius Kunth) prepared by stingless uruçu (Melipona scutellaris Latrelle) were evaluated using the gas chromatography-olfactometry Osme technique. Five trained panellists evaluated the sensory chromatographic effluent in three replications, and the results were integrated by SCDTI software. RESULTS: Of the 42 compounds identified in the chromatogram, 17 odorous stimuli were detected by the sensory panel. Among these compounds, the most odoriferous impacts were pentanoate acetate 'ripe fruit', safranal green, medicinal plant and methyl eugenol 'clove, tea'. The furaneol compounds, hotrienol and benzaldehyde showed aroma notes associated with honey. CONCLUSION: These results are important since, in addition to revealing the presence of compounds that are not identified by other analytical methods, they can also assist in the verification of monofloral honeys compliance. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Resveratrol protects Lactobacillus reuteri against H2O2- induced oxidative stress and stimulates antioxidant defenses through upregulation of the dhaT gene.

Understanding of the mechanisms implicated in the protective role of probiotic bacteria is of the utmost scientific interest. This study provides original insight into the genetic and molecular basis of the responses of Lactobacillus reuteri PL503 against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress. Six experimental groups were considered depending on the addition and concentration of H2O2 and resveratrol: 1. CONTROL (L. reuteri in MRS broth); 2. H2O2 (L. reuteri in MRS broth + 0.5 mM H2O2); 3. LRES (L. reuteri in MRS broth + 20 µM resveratrol); 4. HRES (L. reuteri in MRS broth + 100 µM resveratrol); 5. H2O2-LRES (L. reuteri in MRS broth + 0.5 mM H2O2 + 20 µM resveratrol); 6. H2O2-HRES (L. reuteri in MRS broth + 0.5 mM H2O2 + 100 µM resveratrol). Three replicates were incubated at 37 °C for 24 h in microaerophilic conditions sampled at 12, 16, 20 and 24 h. The NADH-dependent-oxidoreductase encoded by the dhaT gene is a plausible candidate to be strongly implicated in the antioxidant response of L. reuteri. Resveratrol (100 µM) is found to protect L. reuteri against protein carbonylation plausibly through various mechanisms including direct scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS), upregulation of the dhaT gene and promoting the synthesis of sulfur containing compounds. The hypothesis formulated on the ability of L. reuteri to detoxify H2O2 and its underlying mechanism needs to be clarified. Furthermore, the consequences of protein carbonylation as a reflection of oxidative damage to bacteria and its role in the responses of bacteria to oxidative stress need to be further investigated.

Benefits of wine-based marination of strip steaks prior to roasting: inhibition of protein oxidation and impact on sensory properties.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of red wine-based marination on the oxidative stability and overall quality of roasted beef strip steaks. Four treatments were considered, according to the type of wine (300 mL dealcoholized wine/kilogram meat): 'Cabernet Sauvignon', 'Tempranillo', 'Isabel' (ISA), and a control. The formation of potentially harmful protein oxidation products during roasting, including protein carbonyls and dityrosines, was inhibited by bioactive components of the wine. RESULTS: ISA marinades were particularly resistant to protein oxidation, which could be due the particular composition of this wine in phenolic compounds. Wine-based marination was also effective in controlling the formation of lipid-derived volatile compounds, such as hexanal, octane-2,5-dione, and heptan-2-one, which led to a reduced perception of rancidity by panelists. Additionally, wines contributed to spicing roasted beef with wine-derived flavors from esters, alcohols, and lactones. CONCLUSIONS: Hence, marination may be a feasible means to alleviate the potential negative effects that oxidative reactions cause to meat proteins, improve beef quality, and diversify beef cuts into a variety of safer and more flavored meat products. Among wines, ISA appeared to be most promising in terms of antioxidant protection; however, the limited consumer acceptance of steaks treated with this wine may be regarded as a drawback to be sorted out in future studies. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Quality of low-fat chicken sausages with added chicken feet collagen.

The present study aimed to replace the fat in cooked chicken sausages with commercial hydrolyzed collagen powder and chicken feet gelatin and to assess the qualities underlying physicochemical and sensory parameters. Three sausages were prepared: SS (15% fat), SC (7.5% fat and 7.5% hydrolyzed collagen powder), and SG (7.5% fat and 7.5% chicken feet collagen). The reduction of fat increased the values of a*, b*, and Hue. With regard to emulsion stability, SG had the closest value (95.86%) to the standard (SS) value and was more stable than the SC sausage (87.33%). With regard to texture profile, the SC sausage had similar parameters to SS, and the SG sample had lower adhesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness. With regard to fatty acid profile, SG had the lowest atherogenic and thrombogenic indices. The use of 50% gelatin was viable because it increased emulsion stability and water retention, in addition to using byproduct to prepare healthier sausages, especially regarding fat reduction.

Further insight into the role of Ca2+ in broiler pale, soft and exudative-like (PSE) meat through the analysis of moisture by TGA and strong cation elements by ICP-OES.

This study evaluated moisture content of broiler breast PSE meat by thermal gravimetric analysis and strong cation elements by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The weight changes were monitored within the temperature interval 9-750 °C and the most severe changes were observed at 9-160 °C (1A). This remarkable transition was attributed to water loss of about 64.74% in normal samples while PSE samples lost about 61.16%. There was, therefore, approximately 4.0% lower moisture in PSE meat samples in relation to normal meat. The analysis of cation elements showed significant differences (p < 0.05), with normal samples having 13.0% higher ∑[Ca2+] + [Mg2+] + [Na+]+[K+] than PSE meat samples while [Ca2+] in PSE meat was 10.81% higher than in the normal counterparts. We provided further evidence of the role of Ca2+ excess within the muscle sarcomere during the onset of PSE meat.

New insights on the metabolism of ricinoleic acid in ruminants.

Dairy goats were fed a total mixed ration with or without the inclusion of castor oil [40 g/kg of dry matter (DM)] to study the metabolism of ricinoleic acid (12-OH,cis-9-18:1). Ten goats, at 39.7 ± 4.0 d in milk, were individually penned and allocated at random to the 2 experimental diets. Goats were manually milked twice a day. Milk fatty acids (FA) were analyzed as methyl esters and hydroxyl groups were derivatized in trimethylsilyl ethers. Apart from ricinoleic acid, 6 FA were only detected in the milk of the castor oil group. Ricinoleic acid composed 0.3% of total FA in milk of the castor oil group, whereas the hydroxy-FA (8-OH-14:0, 10-OH-16:0, and 12-OH-18:0) and oxo-FA (8-oxo-14:0, 10-oxo-16:0, and 12-oxo-18:0) reached 7.5% of total FA in milk. We anticipate that these FA were derived from the metabolism of ricinoleic acid, although it was not clear if they were produced in the rumen or in the tissues. To confirm that, we conducted in vitro batch incubations repeated for 3 consecutive weeks with castor oil (40 g/kg of DM) and strained rumen fluid from 2 fistulated sheep. To examine the products formed over time, incubation tubes were stopped at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h. The results of the in vitro experiment showed that ricinoleic acid was metabolized in the rumen at a slow rate and the main products formed were 12-OH-18:0 and 12-oxo-18:0, by hydrogenation of the cis-9 double bond, followed by oxidation of the hydroxyl group, respectively. Our results suggest that the 12-OH-18:0 and 12-oxo-18:0 escape rumen and are further metabolized through partial ß-oxidation in ruminant tissues. We propose that the 10-OH-16:0 and 8-OH-14:0 found in goat milk of the castor oil group are successive products of the ß-oxidation of 12-OH-18:0, and the 10-oxo-16:0 and 8-oxo-14:0 are successive products of the 12-oxo-18:0 in tissues. Overall, our results indicate that ricinoleic acid is extensively metabolized in the rumen and tissues, producing mainly oxo- and hydroxy-FA that are further excreted in milk.

The fatty acid profile of fat depots from Santa Inês sheep fed spineless cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill.).

BACKGROUND: Fat is the tissue that varies most in animals from both a quantitative and distribution perspective. It plays a fundamental biological role as energy storage during food scarcity. Renal, pelvic and internal fat are deposited first. These fats are used to identify fatty acid profiles that may be considered beneficial or unhealthy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the fatty acid profile of fat depots in Santa Inês sheep finished in confinement with spineless cactus in their diets. RESULTS: The treatments included increasing levels of spineless cactus (Opuntia fícus-indica Mill.): T1 = 0%, T2 = 30%, T3 = 50%, and T4 = 70%. The diets significantly affected the adipose depots. The orthogonal contrast between the diet with no cactus (control) and the other diets indicates that the quantity of saturated fatty acids decreased and that the levels of mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids increased in animals fed spineless cactus. CONCLUSION: The use of spineless cactus in the diets of Santa Inês sheep affects the lipid profile of their fat depots, reducing the quantity of saturated fatty acids and increasing the quantity of mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The fatty acid profile of the fat depots indicates that these fats can be used to formulate meat products and add economic and nutritional value to such products, which increases sheep farmers' incomes. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Antioxidant Extracts from Acorns (Quercus ilex L.) Effectively Protect Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Chicken Patties Irrespective of Packaging Atmosphere.

This study evaluated the impact of a phenolic-rich acorn extract (200 ppm gallic acid equivalents) and the concentration of oxygen in the packaging system (low-oxygen modified atmosphere; 5% vs. normal-oxygen; 21%) on lipid and protein oxidation and consumers acceptance of the ready-to-eat chicken patties. Samples were subjected to cooking (electric oven, 170 °C/16 min), cold storage (14 d at 4 °C), and reheating (microwave, 600 mW/1 min). Samples treated with acorn extract kept thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances numbers and lipid-derived volatiles at basal levels throughout the whole processing irrespective of the oxygen concentration in the packaging atmosphere. Consistently, treated patties had lower protein carbonyls than control ones. The acorn extract also controlled color and texture deterioration during chilled storage and reheating and improved the color and odor acceptance of the products. Formulating with acorn extract is a feasible strategy to inhibit the oxidation-driven changes and preserve the quality of reheated samples as if there were freshly cooked. Compared to the effect of the antioxidant extract, the concentration of oxygen in the packaging system was negligible in terms of quality preservation.